The Labors of Friendship part 2
by secondhandrose
Summary: The sequel to my story, The Labors of Friendship. Ned and Chuck are extrmemely happy with their daughter and love being a family. Will something happen to change this?
1. Where are they now?

It had been three years, six months, twenty-three days, fourteen hours, fifty-six minutes and seventeen seconds since the day of Lillian Olive Charles's birth. Chuck and the Piemaker had decided to use Chuck's last name, because of Ned's poor relationship with his father. The young girl was always bright and cheerful, probably due to the usually positive attitude of Chuck, and the genetic bubbliness she inherited from her biological mother, Olive Snook. The child, while still very young, seemed to understand the limits of her parents' physical relationship. She was always cautious of her actions when they were together, moving from one parent to the other slowly as to not cause any mishaps.

Charlotte Charles hovered over the stove preparing her daughter's favorite, mac-n-cheese, while she waited for Ned to return home from work. Lillian clung to her mother's knees, intrigued. She had one hand around Chuck, the other in her mouth. Chuck scolded her.

"Lilly, stop that!" she gently pulled the thumb free from the child's lips. "You'll get all of those icky germs in your mouth!" She turned the stove off and left the noodles to simmer as she picked up the toddler and placed her on top of the kitchen counter, so the two were eye-to-eye. "You don't like the icky germs, do you? You don't want to get sick, do you?"

Lilly smiled. "I like getting sick. Last time I was sick, Auntie Olive bwought me pwesents!"

"Oh, now, she doesn't do that every time you get sick, does she?" Chuck held in the laughter that threatened to escape her lips. She struggled to keep a straight face. She had to admit, though, Lilly had developed quite a relationship with Olive.

"She will when I'm a pwincess!"

"A princess?" Chuck pretended to be surprised. "You never told me you were going to be a princess! That sounds exciting!"

"I'm gonna be just like Cin'della!"

Chuck smiled. She loved the way Lilly said Cinderella.

"Really? And just how do you plan to do that?"

"Well…" Lilly leaned in and whispered like she was telling a dark secret. "All I gotta do is dwess real pwetty and sing real pwetty, too."

"Really? Wow! What will you sing?"

Lilly beamed at Chuck and started to sing. Chuck sighed. Lilly was just like Olive, in that she would sing at the drop of a hat.

_A dweam is a wish your heart makes_

_When you're fast 'sleep. _

_In dweams you will 'wooze your heartaches_

_Whatever you wish for, you keep._

_Have faith in your dweams, and someday,_

_Your wainbows will come smiling through_

_No matter how your heart is gweiving,_

_If you go on bewieving,_

_The dweam that you wish will come true._

Chuck applauded. "Lilly! That was beautiful!" She kissed her daughter on the forehead as she set her back down on the floor. "You are going to be a beautiful pwincess….I mean…princess."

Lilly smiled and did something Chuck supposed was a curtsey. "Why thank you!"

Ned walked in the door just in time to see a content Lilly shove an overloaded spoonful of mac-n-cheese into her mouth. "Whoa! Slow down there, you little piglet!"

"Now Daddy," Chuck informed him as she waged a teasing finger. "Lilly is going to be a princess, not a piglet."

Ned gladly played along. "Of course! My apologies, m' lady." He bowed in the direction of his daughter.

" 'pologies 'cepted" she responded, her mouth full of food.

Chuck giggled and then, armed with saran-wrap, pecked her husband on the cheek. How was your day, sweetie?"

"Same as usual." He shrugged. "Nothing new, really. Of course, it's not every day that I'm greeted by a princess when I get home…"

Lilly smiled her same big grin at her father, once again showing off her chewed-up meal. The two continued to play around like this until Lilly had finished eating. Ned turned down Chuck's offer of dinner. He had secretly indulged in a few slices of rhubarb while he was having a slow hour, and he was still full. Ned unbuckled Lilly from her booster-seat at the table as set her down.

"Was dinner yummy?" he asked her.

She nodded. "I'm full…" She rubbed her tummy.

A wide grin spread across Ned's face. Well that's good, because the tickle monster loves little girls who just had a tasty dinner…" He held his arms above his head and straddled the ground, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

Lilly's eyes widened, her smile matched her dad's. "He does?"

"Here he comes!!!" Ned took off after Lilly and snatched her. She shrieked a high-pitched squeal of delight as he squeezed her and tickled her all over her tummy.

"Daddy!" she yelled between explosions of laughter. "Stop!"

"Okay…" Ned suddenly stopped and turned to walk toward Chuck when Lilly whined again.

"Daddy…" she looked up at him, her bottom lip protruding. "Why'd you stop?"

Ned play-growled and chased after his daughter again, careful to always keep a few paced behind her tiny strides. These were the moments he lived for. Now that Lilly was a part of his life, he couldn't imagine life without her.

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Olive Snook sighed as she tossed another negative pregnancy test into the trashcan. She and Fredo had been trying to get pregnant for six months (she had given herself a few years to get over the birth of Lillian, which was a quite traumatic experience) but they couldn't seem to conceive. Olive had tried everything in every magazine, book, and internet article, and nothing had worked. So, they just kept trying, not wanting to seek medical intervention just yet.

Olive emerged from the bathroom to find Fredo pacing in the hallway. When he saw her, a million emotions flashed through his face in a mere second. "And?"

Olive shook her head. "Nothing." She sat down in the big armchair that matched everything else in the room and closed her eyes, shaking her head. "Negative, again."

"Are you sure?" Fredo protested. "Maybe you didn't wait long enough!" He ran over to the wastebasket and picked the stick back up again between his index finger and thumb. He stared at it, intently.

"I peed on that, you know." She reminded him, without opening her eyes.

He gasped and dropped the wand. "Sorry…I forgot." He turned bright red as she slyly retrieved a pump of germ-X that was on the bathroom counter. He then walked over to Olive and kissed her lightly on her emotionless lips. "Watcha thinkin'?"

She waited a minute before responding. "Maybe something is wrong with me, Fredo. Maybe something happened the last time, and-"

"Shhh…" he interrupted her. "It's not your fault. Nothing's your fault. We'll just have to try again, that's all." He put his arm around his wife and gave her a gentle squeeze.

"You said that the last six times, Fredo."

"Good things come to those who wait." He reminded her.

She reached for a pillow and buried her face in it, frustrated. "I don't need the clichés right now, Fredo." Her irritated tone was muffled by the pillow. "I'm sick of waiting. I'm sick of trying."

A sly grin spread across is face. "Last time I checked, you never protested to trying…"

"Oh shut up, you pig." She yanked the pillow out from under her and hurled it at her husband.

"Hey," he whined, catching the pillow just before it hit him. "Piggies have feelings, too."

"And apparently annoyingly good reflexes," she muttered under her breath, examining her fingernails.

In one swift movement, Alfredo picked Olive up, took her place in the chair, and settled her on his lap. Olive didn't make a sound. She just looked up at him with a pitiful expression.

He stroked her hair and whispered softly, "It's going to be fine. Everything's going to work out, even if I have to get pregnant _myself_."

Olive laughed, despite her bad mood. "Now I would _pay_ to see _that_," She lunged up and kissed him. When she was through, she muttered, " Do you really think this is going to work?"

"I'm positive. Trust me."

"I guess I'll have to." She nestled her head against his chest and sighed, enjoying the feeling of his strong arms wrapped around her.


	2. The Power of Women

Later that night, The Piemaker was faced with the recurring challenge of putting Lilly to bed. Usually Chuck was the one to do this, but she had just left to go to the drugstore and pick up some milk. Chuck usually put Lilly to bed for a reason. She could get Lilly sound asleep in 10 minutes; Ned was lucky if he even got her into her pajamas.

As the current episode of Barney came to a close, Ned contemplated how to go about handling the task ahead of him. He figured just coming out and telling her would be the best way.

"Hey, Lilly-Billy, it's 7:30. Time for bed."

The three-year-old crossed her arms over her chest defiantly and shook her head. "No it isn't. I don't want to."

"Come on now, Lilly, don't you want to make daddy happy?"

"No."

"Will you at least put on your jammies for Daddy?" Ned laughed at himself. Since when did he use the word "jammies"?

"Okay…" Lilly agreed.

This was good. Lilly was much more agreeable tonight. He could do this. He could do this. Ned took Lilly by the hand and guided her to her room. He strolled over to her chest of drawers, feeling confident in himself. Pulling open the drawer that held Lilly's pajamas, Ned produced the pale green ones Olive had bought her that had a big "L" embroidered on the front.

"Ok, Lils, come here and let me help you put these on."

"No."

"But Lilly," Ned pouted. "You promised Daddy you'd out on your pajamas."

"I don't want _those_ pajamas." Lilly pointed her little index finger at the clothes Ned held in his hand. "I want the pink ones."

Ned scoured Lilly's pajama drawer for the pink pajamas she requested, but he didn't find them. "Lilly, the pink ones aren't here. They must be dirty. Don't you want to wear these green ones? Or, what about your yellow ones?" Ned was desperate.

"I…want…my…pink…ones!" Lilly wailed, her temper obviously worsened by lack of sleep. Ned watched big, fat tears roll down her cheeks as she stamped her foot and started to throw a fit.

"Lilly, green is pretty! Why don't you put on your pretty green pajamas for Daddy and then you can wear your pink ones tomorrow?"

"Green…isn't…pwetty…like…pink!!!" the volume of her voice was getting louder, and Ned had no clue what to do. He reached in to give his daughter a hug, but she shrugged away from him. "NO!" she yelled. "I DON'T WANT A HUG!"

Just then there was a knock at the door. _Great…_ Ned thought as he left his angry daughter for a minute to answer it. Ned opened the door to a worried Olive.

"Sounded like you needed a hand." She explained as she fled down to Lilly's room. Olive picked up the toddler and squeezed her.

"Hey sweetie," she whispered. "What's the matter, darlin'?"

"I…w-w-want…my…pink….j-j-jammies…" Lilly stammered between sobs.

Olive looked at Ned for an explanation. "They're dirty," he mouthed from across the room. Olive nodded at him reassuringly.

Olive set Lilly down and rummaged through her pajama drawer just as Ned had done, but this time she pulled out a blue nightgown. "You like Cinderella, don't you Lilly?"

Lilly rubbed her eyes and nodded.

Olive ran over to a collection of DVD's on a shelf in the corner of the room and selected Cinderella. She knelt down next to Lilly and pointed to a picture on the back of the box.

"Lilly, do you see Cinderella's dress in this picture? What color is it?"

"Blue." Lilly answered, calmer than before.

This time Olive held up the nightgown she had selected. "And what color is your nightgown?"

"Blue." Lilly said, making the connection.

"See? If you wear this nightgown, you'll look just like Cinderella! Will you put it on for Daddy and me?"

Lilly smiled and nodded in agreement. "Okay."

"That's my girl!" Olive helped Lilly into her nightgown as Ned watched her, dumbfounded. When she was done, she hugged the toddler as kissed her goodnight. Ned followed Olive out to the door and stared at her, wide-eyed.

"How did you _do_ that?"

Olive shrugged. "Woman's intuition. I was a three-year-old girl once."

Ned shook his head in amazement and pulled his friend into a big bear hug. "Thank you so much! You're the best."

"I know," she smiled. "I'll leave the teeth-brushing to you."

Ned hugged Olive again before watching her teeter out the door, wearing 5-inch heels as usual. He was convinced: women were the most amazing creatures on the planet. Period.


	3. Tragic News

**First of all, I want to apologize for taking so long to update! I recently moved, and school has gotten insanely crazy, so I didn't have time to write. This is a short chapter (and NOT my best writing, but I'm out of practice). I've just re-written this, so you may want to re-read it. I added some more Olive/A;fredo drabble, but the main idea of this chapter stayed the same.**

Two months, three weeks, six days, 8 hours, and 43 minutes later, one Olive Snook was sitting nervously with her husband at the doctor's office. Olive was a sight. Exhaustion had left its mark under her eyes in the form of two deep purple bruises. She hadn't slept well in days.

Olive and Fredo had yet to conceive, and after five months of trying, decided to seek medical help. They were getting nowhere on their own. The doctor was away retrieving Olive's test results, which left her and Alfredo alone with their apprehensive thoughts and grim contemplations. The room was dead silent. Olive, uncomfortable in the grey folding chair, drummed her fingers impatiently on the big mahogany desk in front of her. After a few moments Fredo reached out and pressed her hand flat against the desk with his, shushing her with a grin.

"I'll be alright." He reassured her.

"What if it isn't?" she countered.

"If it isn't, we'll get through it together. I promise baby, there's nothing to worry about." He shifted to rub small circles on his wife's back. She shifted as well, resting her head on his warm shoulder.

"Don't call me that."

"Call you what?"

"_Baby._" Olive screeched, her nose wrinkling. "Hits too close to home."

The two sat in silence for a few moments before Olive spoke.

"Something's wrong with me. I can feel it."

"Nothing's wrong with you. You're perfect." He pecked a kiss on her stone-cold lips; the glower stayed glued to her face despite it.

"Mmph." She crossed her arms and pouted, not in the mood for anything even resembling romantic.

Fredo tapped his wife's nose with his index finger. "Quit pouting. You're harshing my vibe." He joked.

"Well your vibe can just build itself a bridge and get over it."

"C'mon..." He poked her in the ribs. "Let's play a game."

Olive sank back into her chair and glared at him. "Really, Fredo. A game? At a time like this? Can't you be serious for once?"

"You're one to talk, Miss Perky-the-second-my-head-lifts-off-the-pillow-even-before-coffee-like-a-weirdo -pants!"

Olive snorted and shook her head. "You're impossible."

"Yes, yes I am." Fredo shot Olive a toothy grin. "Now, let's play a game! I'll go first. You make a face and think about something, and I'll try to guess what you're thinking. Okay?"

Olive rolled her eyes. "Fine, but just so you know I won't be enjoying myself."

"Awww….what a shame. C'mon, let's play! Make a face."

Olive's expression didn't budge.

"Hmmm….." Fredo made a big display of rubbing his temples. "You're thinking……how your husband is so sexy Justin brought him back FIVE TIMES!!!"

"No."

Fredo snapped his fingers, defeated. "Aw! I was so sure I had it right! What ever were you thinking?" His voice was thick with good-humored sarcasm.

"I was trying to remember why I decided to marry a twelve-year-old."

.

Fredo sighed, finally capitulating to Olive's cloudy mood. "You know, maybe if we'd---"

Fredo was interrupted by the click of the doorknob turning. Olive jumped six inches off her chair at the noise, both startled and excited. The doctor who entered was tall and lean, her razor sharp features twisting into a scowl as she sat down and shuffled through some papers. He hair was slicked back into a tight bun, and she chewed at an obnoxiously long fingernail as she hunted for the manuscript. Her skin was stretched so tightly over her angular bone structure that it appeared almost translucent. Her glinting nametag read, "Dr. Crow". At last she found the document she was looking for and furrowed her brow. Olive stared at the woman intently, searching her every move and gesture for some sign of good news.

Dr. Crow's stone features softened as she finally looked up and into Olive's big, hopeful blue eyes. She laughed softly, but there was a hint of bitterness in the eerie snigger, like she was regretting something…

"Mrs. Olive Snook, and….Mr. Alfredo Alderissio?"

Olive cleared her throat. "Yes."

The woman paused, and then spoke. "Why didn't you change you last name when you got married?" she looked questioningly at the diminutive blonde in front of her.

"Eh….thought it might confuse the narrator." She replied, shrugging her shoulders and pointing to the ceiling.

"Ahhh…….right." She nodded understandingly. "So…I understand you two are having problems conceiving a child?"

Olive winced. She didn't like to think of herself as a 'problem'. "Unfortunately."

"It's a good thing you weren't successful, Mrs. Snook."

Olive and Alfredo exchanged confused glances. Olive shook her head. "I beg your pardon?"

Dr. Crow laced her fingers, placing them neatly on the desk in front of her as she leaned forward. She sighed heavily, as if she were about to recite a speech she'd made quite a few times too many. "Mrs. Snook….I'm afraid that we've found something rather inopportune in your test results. It seems that you have Ovarian Cancer, and treatment could have severely harmed the embryo, had you conceived before diagnosis."

A chilling numbness spread through Olive's entire body, her raging heartbeat pounding loudly in her ears as the world around her came crashing down. The room began to spin, and she dropped her head to her hands. She felt dizzy and nauseous all at the same time, as if a giant hand had grabbed her stomach and wrenched it inside-out. She'd wanted a family so badly, so much that it ached. Why _her_? Why _now_? She didn't deserve this. She'd known something was wrong, but this was way beyond what she had ever imagined. _Cancer?_ No….it wasn't true….._couldn't_ be true…..

The truth finally hit Olive over the head like a boulder, and she let out a mournful, strangled sob.

Alfredo gathered his weeping wife in his arms and rocked her, letting a tear or two escape himself.

***Cue dramatic Pushing Daisies music* Hope you liked it! Like I said, it's not my best writing, but I'm working on it. I promise the next chapter will be more substantial and of better quality. Thanks again!**


	4. CranberryOrange Calamity

**I've added to this and re-posted, so please re-read if you read the old version. Thanks :)**

After a long, sleepless night, Alfredo Alderissio rolled over in bed to gaze upon the face of his wife, dimly lit by the faint daylight making its appearance just above the horizon. This was something he loved to do when he simply could not fall asleep. The day they'd had seemed almost dreamlike, though he supposed it was certainly more nightmarish than dreamlike.

The main reason Alfredo loved to watch Olive sleep was that she was so peaceful when she slept. When awake, Olive's brain focused on a million things at once, never stopping to rest or organize itself. But when she succumbed to slumber, Olive's face became a serene one, and a hint of a smile usually manifested itself on her lips.

Now however, the serenity and tranquility was eerily absent. She tossed and turned, her forehead crumpled with worry. She whimpered occasionally, muttering unintelligible words that Fredo could only pretend to understand. Her eyes were snapped to tightly shut that the creases on wither side of them would surely be visible in the morning. He remembered the first time he laid eyes on her: her optimistic persona had attracted him instantly, as if her extreme beauty weren't enough to hold his fascination. He found her ever-present glow absolutely alluring. He'd always been enticed by her eyes; in a sappy love letter he'd written to her for their first anniversary, he compared them to "crystal blue pools of delight in a world full of full of abhorrence". For the last few months it seemed she had slipped into a deep depression, not that she'd ever admit it. The light in her eyes had vanished.

Seeing his wife like this tore Alfredo Alderissio's heart into a million pieces, and if it would make Olive happier, he'd give them all to her (not that they didn't already belong to her in the first place). He reached out and stroked her hair, silencing her mid-whimper. His finger grazed her familiar lips lovingly; he wasn't used to seeing them twisted so harshly downward. He yearned to kiss those lips, but stopped himself. Olive needed her sleep; he only hoped that the shock of waking up and remembering the unfortunate day all over again wouldn't be too much for her. Olive had had a rough go of it the last few years, and he didn't know how far her will could stretch before if popped.

Fredo, feeling the Sandman tug at his eyelids, put an arm around his wife and capitulated to exhaustion, the image of his wife's distressed features haunting him even in his dreams.

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**Thirteen hours, twenty-seven minutes, and twelve seconds later….**

"Mommy, can I help?" Lillian Olive Charles tugged at the hem of the mother's dress impatiently. Charlotte Charles hovered intently over the cranberry-orange pie she was preparing. It was Ned's birthday, and she was throwing a party for him, despite his wishes. She loved Ned with all her heart, but he really needed to learn to have fun.

"Not now, sweetie. Mommy needs to work on this by herself for right now, okay?"

Lilly huffed. "Ima go wait for Auntie Olive and Uncle Fwedo…" The toddler scampered out of the kitchen, and once Chuck saw she was happily settled in a booth by the stairs, turned her attention back to the pie. She really hoped Ned's birthday would be absolutely perfect.

***********************************************************************************************************************************************

Olive Snook and Alfredo Alderissio made their way towards the stairs that lead to the quaint pie restaurant below their apartment. The talked quickly and urgently, in a hushed tone.

"Fredo, listen to me, say nothing about my…_cancer_." Her voice cracked; she found it difficult to use the word. She sniffled and dabbed at her eyes. "I don't want to spoil Ned's birthday. If anyone asks why I'm so weepy, blame it on hormones, or the 'fight' I had with my mother." She made air quotes around the word 'fight' to emphasize its fabrication. "Understood?" Olive was so tired she felt as if she might pass out, but she teetered down the stairs anyway.

Fredo sighed. "Alright." He gave his wife a quick hug and placed a hand on her back, gently guiding her.

Olive and Fredo appeared at the bottom of the stairs, to be greeted by a squealing Lilly.

"Hi!!!!" Lilly jumped up and down, hugging the sets of legs tightly.

"Hi sweetie!" Olive tried. She could hear the fatigue in her own voice. "How are you?"

"Good." Lilly cocked her head to the side. "What happened to your eyes?"

"My eyes?" Olive asked, her fingers flying to the mentioned area.

"Yeah….they've got red stuff around them. Are you sick? Last time I was sick Mommy made me drink this icky pink stuff…..I got a lollipop after though." She smiled.

Olive held back a waterfall of tears as she struggled to maintain a steady voice. "Yes, sweetie, Auntie Olive is sick. Very, very sick." Seeing the startled look in the child's eyes, Olive added, "But don't worry hon. I'll be fine."

_I'll be fine._ Olive knew very well she would not be fine.

Just then Chuck came flying from the kitchen, launching herself into her best friend's arms. "Hey guys! I'm so glad you could make it! It'll mean so much to Ned." Chuck pecked Fredo on the cheek, and then turning her attention to Olive, grabbed the woman's shoulder and held her a arm's length. She gasped. "What happened to you? You look like you haven't slept in months!" She inspected her friend further. "And…your eyes…have you been crying?"

Olive felt yet another piece of her heart break off and disintegrate. "I um…..I was in a fight with my mother. It got pretty heated. It's stupid really…." Her voice trailed off, but lucky for Olive, Chuck instantly started jabbering again.

"Aw, you poor thing! I'm sure it'll all clear up in no time. Mothers and daughters are like that." She hugged her friend again, more tightly this time. "I thank god every day that this one still thinks I know everything." She gestured to Lilly, and gained a toothy grin in response.

Just then the four heard footsteps coming down the stairs; heavy, plodding footsteps easily recognized as the Piemaker's. Chuck's face lit up. "Shh…it's Ned!" she whispered. "Hurry, everybody hide!"

Everybody did as they were told, Olive and Fredo unenthusiastically so. Chuck tiptoed over to the light switch and flicked it to 'off'. The footsteps became louder, and soon Ned appeared at the bottom of the stairs, wearing his usual black-and-grey attire and crooked grin.

"Chuck? Lilly? If you're doing what I think you're doing, like…I don't know…throwing me a surprise party…..you'd better come out of hiding right now." His broad smile was easily audible in his voice.

Chuck flicked on the lights and Lilly jumped out from behind a chair. "Surpwise, Daddy!" Ned gathered his daughter in his arms and laughed. Digby barked.

Chuck ran over to the two and glowered. "Would it have killed you to play along?" she tried to hold her mock irritation, but failed. She broke into laughter just as loud---if not louder---like the others.

Ned smiled. "I figured you would, but finding these napkins kind of gave me a clue." He held up monogrammed party napkins that read "Happy Birthday, Ned!"

"Dangit! I knew I was missing some!" She snatched the napkin from him (carefully, of course) and armed with plastic wrap, smooched him lightly on the cheek.

Olive and Afredo watched the sitcom-like moment from a distance, counterfeit smiles pasted on their faces. Ned noticed the two and ambled over to them, bashfully. "Aw, thanks guys, but you didn't have to come!" he hugged them, despite his touchiness concerning physical contact. Ned, noticing the couple's pitiful state, began to ask what was wrong before Chuck jabbed him with a fork behind his back. She glared at him, and he figured that was Chuck's way of warning him not to ask.

"So!" Chuck clapped her hands. "Who's ready for pie?" she asked cheerily in a sing-song voice.

"Meee!!!!" Lilly shrieked, jumping up and down.

"Okie dokie then. Let me go get the pie, the candles, and the lighter. Oh and Ned, I made your favorite, Cranberry orange!"

Ned smiled at Chuck's forgetfulness. Cranberry Orange was indeed not his favorite pie, as he had told her many times before. She loved it though, and if it made her happy, he supposed he could put up with it for a night. This party was, he felt, more about Chuck than him anyway. Chuck smiled a smile that melted Ned to his core and dashed off to the kitchen.

1. Just like a murder can be virtually solved in sixty seconds, the Pie Holers' lives changed drastically in the subsequent sixty seconds. The facts were these:

2. Chuck ran to the kitchen to retrieve the supplies necessary to sing Ned happy birthday and feast upon a high-calorie dessert.

3. Ned made small-talk with Alfredo over who won the previous Sunday's football game.

4. Lilly threw a newspaper to Digby for him to retrieve while Olive massaged her temples to aid her present headache..

5. Chuck emerged from the kitchen in such a hurry that she dropped the pie in her haste, its contents splattering all over the floor.

6. Ned rushed forward to clean up the mess, and slipping in the tangy fruit filling, fell right into Chuck, **killing her.**

******DUN...DUN...DUNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!! Before you freak and kill me, wait till this story is complete, kay? I'm not very satisfied with the quality of this chapter (writing-wise) but I'm out of practice. Hopefully I'll get back into the swing-a-things soon. Thanks for reading! Reviews are very much appreciated, but please don't feel obligated. :)**


	5. Unforseen Talents

_Chuck emerged from the kitchen in such a hurry that she dropped the pie in her haste, it's contents splattering all over the floor._

_Ned rushed forward to clean up the mess, and slipping in the tangy fruit filling, fell right into Chuck, __**killing her.**_

"No……no no no NO!!!!" Ned stared at his beloved wife on the floor as the last bit of blue left her pale skin. She was still. Olive and Alfredo stood open-mouthed in horror, still in shock.

"Chuck……Chuck…say something!!!" Ned willed Chuck back to life in his mind, knowing that the damage was done and he could never reverse it. He collapsed, numb with agony, next to Chuck and held her as he began to sob. Olive Snook had never heard anything more painful than the raw, excruciating moans that escaped the Piemaker's lips, and she momentarily forgot her own woes and rushed to the Ned's side, clutching his face close to her chest and stroking his hair. Her own tears began to fall as the hard, cold truth hit her. He best friend was dead, Forever.

"Ned, Ned…I…..Don't…." she began to try and comfort him, but a wave of sorrow overcame her and the words died away on her lips. She crumpled next to him, in a pitiful heap, as her shoulders began to shake.

Ned sat upright, forcing himself to look upon Chuck's limp body through tear-blurred eyes. One thought shot through his mind: _he could touch her._ Suddenly, before he knew what he was doing, Ned lunged and pressed his lips to Chuck's, tasting a mix of her sweet lips and his own tears. In his mind he begged Chuck for forgive him. This was not at all the kiss he's had so many times in his dreams. This was a cold, bitter kiss, an action of guilt and agony. He deepened the kiss, still crying, and refused to stop until he felt small hands pulling his face away.

"Ned….Ned, she's gone." Ned looked upon the mascara streaked face, and knowing her words were true, fell into her tear-soaked lap once more.

"Daddy?" Lilly asked, her little voice filled with confusion and fear. "What's wrong with Mommy?"

Ned brought his eyes up to meet his daughter's gaze, and the pain he was feeling intensified. His daughter was motherless, just as he had been. It was all his fault, just like it had been when he was a child. The cruel power he had wasn't a gift at all, but a curse. A curse that took everything he'd ever loved away from him, and now his daughter. Ned unintentionally let out a moan of grief, scaring Lilly to death.

"Daddy?" The young girl was crying now too, still struggling to make sense of what had just happened. "Daddy, why won't Mommy wake up?"

Fredo, through his own tears, shushed the toddler. "Lilly, let's go outside." He was desperate to shelter the child from any more trauma than she had already experienced.

"No!" Lilly twisted out of his grasp and ran toward her father. Fredo began to come after her, but a glare from Olive stopped him in his tracks. He nodded, understanding, and sat down again, silently crying. Olive gathered Lilly in her arms and rocked her as steadily as she could; she herself was still trembling. Lilly broke away after a moment and rushed to her mother's side, staring. Olive looked for Ned to intervene, but his head was in his hands again.

"Mommy?" Lilly asked again, her voice no more than a whisper. "Wake up." She reached out her little hand, and when it made contact with Chuck forehead, a funny thing happened.

Sparks flew from the child's fingertips, and Chuck sat straight up. A confused look spread across her face. "Guys….why…why is everybody crying?"

**Author's Note: Sorry this one was so short!**


	6. Confusion and Heartbreak

**Hi Guys! I'm sorry my updates are so far between. I'm crazy busy and have not had much time to write, so thank you all for being so kind. :) I apologize that this chap is so short! Oh, and I've re-written a few of the chapters in TLOF1, so I'll let you know when those are posted. I added some more Olive/Ned interaction. :)**

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"Holy……crap……" Olive stared at her friend. Her friend that was suddenly alive again. Who had been dead a mere 5 seconds ago.

A stunned silence swallowed up the room as glances of disbelief were shot back and forth.

"Chuck…oh…thank God!" Ned couldn't decide whether to be happy that his wife was alive again, or to be horrified that his daughter was the cause of it.

A wide grin spread across Lilly's face. "Mommy!" the toddler reached out for her mother.

"NO!!!" Olive, Alfredo, and Ned screamed in unison. Olive was the quickest, running forward and snatching Lilly up just before she came in deadly contact with her mother. The toddler kicked and screamed in retaliation, but a quick affectionate squeeze from her aunt quieted her.

Chuck stood up now and looked around. "Wha…what in the world is going on?"

Olive passed Lilly to Fredo and wrapped her friend in a hug. Ned just stood, open-mouthed in shock.

Chuck hugged Olive back, but asked again, more persistently. "What on earth are you all freaking out about?!" She looked at the identical expression on each face, trying to make some sense of the situation.

Olive looked to Ned, but seeing he was in no position for elucidating the astonishing event that had just occurred, she began. "You….um…slipped, and Ned…kind of…accidentally touched you…"

Chuck said nothing at first, and then snorted. "RIGHT….no really, what happened? If Ned had _accidentally touched me_---" she made air quotes around the words to emphasize their idiocy, "I wouldn't be alive right now!"

Olive looked down at the floor and bit her lip. "I'm not lying, Chuck. Come here….sit down." Chuck, still confused, followed Olive to a table and sat.

Olive took Chucks hand in hers and swallowed. "Chuck, you_ did_ die…" Olive paused a moment and closed her eyes, mentally preparing herself for Chuck's reaction. "But, sweetie…you see…" she took a deep breath. "Lilly….has...the gift." She enunciated each word slowly and stared right into Chuck's eyes.

Chucks eyes grew wide as all the color drained from her face. Olive was not joking. There was no trace of humor in her eyes. The temperature of the hand Olive was holding dropped about 10 degrees. "No…she couldn't have…"

"I'm sorry…I'm so, so sorry…." Both women began to cry as they embraced each other.

Chuck's head swam. She couldn't touch her husband, and now she couldn't even touch her own child.

Lilly, enveloped in her father's arms, watched confused from a distance. Alfredo went to Chuck and drew her to his chest, stroking her hair. Chuck, however, didn't take this as a comfort. All she could think of was how she wished the arms that were holding her were Ned's, and how she wished she could rock Lilly gently and sing to her.

The room remained engulfed in stunned silence for the next hour until, finally, the group decided to retreat back to their apartments until morning. Olive and Alfredo agreed to take Lily for the night, to give Chuck and Ned some time alone to think of a way to aid the situation.

Alfredo scooped a now dozing Lilly up with just one arm and wrapped his free arm around Olive's waist. Olive was lightheaded as she and her husband followed Ned and Chuck up the stairs. Her mind was very hazy, but as she watched the couple in front of her, she could have sworn she saw Chuck's hand brush Ned's ever so slightly…..


	7. AN

**Hey Guys! Gabi here. I know I haven't updated this story in forever, and I am very very sorry. An update IS coming soon, I promise! However, now I am currently re-writing the first story, The Labors of Friendship. I will post anoth A/N when I finish, and then post the next chapter of this. Thanks you so much for being as patient and giving such wonderful reviews.**

**XOXO, Gabi**


	8. What is this feeling?

Olive sat in the rocking chair of her living room, watching as Fredo and Lilly played patty-cake on the floor. She watched the toddler, wondering if she knew that her life had just changed forever.

Scenes from the last few years flashed through Olive's mind. She thought of the day that started it all, when Chuck had come to her, needing a surrogate and wanting Olive to do the job. She thought of the endless months of morning sickness, swollen ankles, mood swings, and cravings she had endured, knowing that the prize would be well worth it. She thought of the sleepless nights she spent wondering what the child would look like. She thought of the first time she felt the baby kick inside of her, and the first time she was able to hear the baby's soft but strong heartbeat. She thought of that frigid night at the Pie Hole when her water broke, and Ned coached her through contraction after contraction. She remembered the petrifying moment when Ned informed her that the cord was wrapped around the baby's neck, as well as the immense gratitude she felt when he told her minutes later that the cord was free and she could push again. She remembered the passionate bond that was instantly formed when the warm wriggling bundle was finally laid on her chest, and the lightning bolt of adoration that shot up her spine when the infant's ice-blue eyes met hers for the first time. She remembered how happy she felt when she finally handed the baby girl to Chuck, and the way her best friend's eyes sparkled with motherly pride. She remembered Lilly's first steps, just a few short years later, which had been directly to her. She remembered the first time Lilly successfully said, "Auntie Olive" and "Uncle Fredo", and how her husband had raved about it for weeks. She remembered the little girl's first day of preschool, and how when she got off the bus she enthusiastically told anyone who would listen all about it.

Olive bit her lip as a single tear trailed down her cheek. This little girl that she loved so much just had her mother, or the woman she looked at as her mother, virtually taken away from her. She didn't deserve that. She deserved the world. And what hurt more, Olive wanted to give the world to her, but she didn't know if she would live to do it. They still didn't know how malicious her cancer was….oh God. Her cancer. Ned and Chuck still didn't know about her cancer.

"Hey babe, you okay?" Fredo picked up on his wife's mood and went over to her. He squeezed her shoulders.

Olive leaned into his touch, and tried to re-gain her composure. "Yeah….yeah, I'm okay." The lie stung her lips.

Lilly, donned in her treasured pink pajamas, climbed into Olive's lap and smiled. "Auntie Olive, am I staying with you ALL night?"

Olive nodded. "Uh huh. Mommy and Daddy need some time alone so they can think about some things. You'll get to see them in the morning." Olive brushed some stray strands of blonde hair put of the little girl's eyes.

Lilly's forehead crumpled as she thought this over for a moment. Then, a brilliant smile appeared on her face. "So…..this is like…..a sleepover?"

Olive couldn't help but laugh at the excited look in Lilly's eyes "Yes, sweetie, that's exactly what it is. Are you getting hungry? Or are you still full from the party?"

Lilly shook her head. "I'm okay." She looked up at Olive with big, hopeful eyes. "Will you sing to me?"

Olive kissed Lilly on the forehead, and smiled. She took a deep breath, and her light, airy voice floated through the apartment.

_Nothing's gonna harm you, not while I'm around.  
Nothing's gonna harm you, no sir, not while I'm around._

Demons are prowling everywhere, nowadays,  
I'll send 'em howling,  
I don't care, I got ways.

No one's gonna hurt you,  
No one's gonna dare.  
Others can desert you,  
Not to worry, whistle, I'll be there.

Demons'll charm you with a smile, for a while,  
But in time...  
Nothing can harm you  
Not while I'm around...

Being close and being clever  
Ain't like being true  
I don't need to,  
I would never hide a thing from you,  
Like some...

No one's gonna hurt you, no one's gonna dare  
Others can desert you,  
Not to worry, whistle, I'll be there!  
Demons'll charm you with a smile, for a while  
But in time...  
Nothing can harm you  
Not while I'm around...

When the song came to a close, Lilly was fast asleep, her little chest rising and falling with even breaths. Olive's vision blurred with tears, and despite how hard she tried to fight them back, she lost the battle to her heavy heart. Tears brimmed and fell, and she felt a sense of déjà vu that felt like a punch to the stomach. The last time she was in this position, Lilly was not even one day old. She had woken in the hospital, and was holding the infant when she realized that as much as she loved her, she wasn't hers. The doctor had come in and taken the baby away, and Olive couldn't remember another time, not even during her recent diagnosis, when she felt so hopelessly lost.

The feel of Alfredo's lips against her forehead snapped Olive out of her daze, and she looked up at him. "That always worked, you know, Fredo."

Fredo crouched down next to the rocking chair. "What did?"

Olive drew in a shaky breath, and more tears found themselves streaming down her face. Fredo waited patiently, holding his wife's hand until she was ready to continue. "When….when I was pregnant with Lilly, she could never seem to stop kicking. I loved feeling it….it was like her way of letting me know she was alright. But sometimes, especially at night when I needed to sleep, I would sing to her. Sometimes, the songs were my favorites when I was a little girl, and sometimes they were just songs I made up on the spot. Whenever I sang to her, she would stop kicking and calm down. It never failed to work, every single time."

* * *

Charlotte Charles sat silently on her bed, staring out the window, with her knees drawn up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. Her brown curls fell into a curtain around her. She hadn't said a thing since they arrived home. Her eyes scanned the sky. For what, Ned didn't know. Answers, he supposed. Solutions. But there was nothing that could solve this. There was no way out.

She faced him, her face hard and weary. He had never seen her this way before. She waited a moment, her expression blank, before parting her lips to speak.

"Ned, I want you to touch me."

Ned's head snapped around. "What?!"

"I want you to touch me." She repeated, in the same, monotonous tone as before.

"No. I know this seems like it's the end of the world, but we'll find a way to fix it, we can make this work out, somehow—"

"There's no fixing this, Ned. It can't be fixed. It's all over. My life is over. It's bad enough not being able to touch you, the love of my life. But this…not this. I can't go on not being able to touch my own daughter. I refuse to do it."

"So just like that, you want me to zap you out of existence. You can't touch her, sure, but you can still be a _part of her life_. What, you just want to go off and leave Lilly without a mother?"

"She has Olive."

The Piemaker froze, furious. "You would be willing to pass our little girl off, just like that? It would be that EASY for you?"

"Of course it wouldn't be EASY!" Chuck hollered, showing emotion for the first time in hours. "Lilly means the world to me. But what kind of a screwed-up childhood will she have without ANY physical contact from her mother! Even more, me being around her is dangerous now. What if she accidentally brushes me one day, Ned? Do you want our daughter growing up thinking she is responsible for murdering her mother?!"

Ned was seething. "You don't think I know this is all my fault? You think I don't realize that if not for me, none of this shit would have happened? I KNOW that's the case. I am going to live the rest of my life knowing that. But I can't wave a magic wand and make it better. Hell, my magic finger got us into this mess! But I am sure as hell not going to KILL MY WIFE to add to the agony!"

"Ned—"

Earlier, when I thought I had really lost you, was the worst moment of my life. I am NOT going through that again. I will NOT lose you. I love you too much to let you go this easily."

"Oh, Ned," Chuck whispered, stepping closer to him. She touched his shoulder lightly through the sleeve, and her eyes searched his for the quickest of moments. "I'm sorry it had to be this way." With that she flung herself at him, sending both crashing to the floor.

The two bodies landed with an audible thud. Ned was too shocked to move, Chuck's body pinning him to the ground. He ran his fingers through her hair, tears brimming in his eyes. "No….No….not again…" His vision went hazy as he took in shaky gasps of air, trying not to hyperventilate.

Just as he was about to lose control, Chuck's head snapped up. "Ned? Wha—why aren't I—how come I'm not—"

Ned choked on a sob and gaped at his wife, who had made contact with his skin and was, indeed, very much alive on top of him. "I—I don't…"

"Shh…." Chuck reached a shaky hand out and hesitated, before lightly caressing Ned's cheek. Nothing happened. Her heart remained beating. "Oh my—Lilly must have—maybe when she—"

Ned wasted no time in crashing their lips together, and Chuck responded to the kiss with fervor. "Amazing…," he whispered between kisses. Chuck tangled her hands in his hair and drew him closer to her, all of her senses alive and alert. Fiery warmth spread throughout her body and she moaned, reveling in the feel of Ned's mouth hot against hers.

And, suddenly, she knew everything was going to be alright.

**A/N: I'm back, guys! I'm sorry this took me so dang long. I got really busy, and a lot of craziness has been going on. I plan to update a lot more very soon, so stay tuned! Happy things are ahead. :)**


	9. Change of Plans

Olive's nose awoke her, the sweet smell of maple syrup gently wafting throughout the house. Her eyes fluttered open, and she took a few deep cleansing breaths as they focused on the ceiling. It was then that she realized she was in bed, not the recliner. She supposed Fredo had brought her here. She rolled onto her side, expecting to snuggle into the warm body of her husband, but instead was greeted by an empty expanse of mattress. Her forehead wrinkled as she tried to recall events from the night before, and they came flooding back to her in a wave of grief. She swallowed a few times, trying to rid the lump that had formed in her throat. Chuck had died for the second time, and was now alive again. Lilly was responsible. Chuck couldn't touch her.

That last fact repeated itself over and over in her head like a broken record. Chuck couldn't touch her. The little girl had nowhere to go. Olive sat up and stretched her arms, trying to shake the fog from her mind. She found it curious that Alfredo was up at such an early hour. She glanced at the clock. It was only---12:30p.m!

Olive jumped and swung her legs over the side of the bed in a panic. She was late for work! _Very_ late. And Fredo had _let_ her be late. She stumbled out the door and into the kitchen.

No sooner had Olive stepped foot in the room had Alfredo pressed a steaming, horse-shaped coffee mug into her hand. "Morning, Beautiful." Olive took the mug and looked at him, baffled. She opened her mouth in question, but and spoke before the words left her lips. "You don't have to go to work today." He kissed her cheek.

Olive's eyes were still full of question, but instead of prolonging the conversation, she lowered her head and inhaled deeply. The smell of the coffee reached her nose and she sighed as she felt her senses sharpening.

"G'mornin!" A tiny, muffled voice came from her left. Olive turned smiled immediately as her eyes fell upon a cheerful Lilly. The little girl was sitting before a mountainous tower of pancakes, and she had syrup all over her little face. Her hair was pulled pack into a sloppy ponytail, Fredo's handiwork, no doubt, and she was still in her pajamas. Olive giggled as she watched the little girl shove yet another forkful of pancakes into her mouth.

Olive couldn't resist walking over and kissing the little girl on the top of the head. "Looks like you and Uncle Fredo slept in almost as late as I did, huh?" Lilly nodded, smiling, her cheeks puffed out with an ambitious bite of pancakes.

Fredo came over and wrapped his arms around Olive's waist from behind. "This tyke we've got here is gonna eat us out of house and home! She's been at it for an hour!"

Olive took a seat next to Lilly at the table and raised an eyebrow at Fredo. "What, no pancakes for your lovely wife?"

Alfredo laughed. "Not just yet. Lilly-Billy, will you be okay here for a few minutes by yourself?"

Lilly nodded heartily, still fully focused on her breakfast. Fredo tousled her hair, and gave her shoulder a quick squeeze. "Okay, Munchkin, holler if you need anything."

Alfredo took Olive's hand gently and let her into the bedroom. When they got there, he pulled her close and pressed his lips to hers. Olive broke the kiss almost immediately and grimaced. "Fredoooo" she wined. "No funny business, Lilly's in the next room. And besides, I haven't even brushed my teeth yet….ew."

Fredo burst into laughter, sitting them both down on the bed. "No, there's something I have to tell you. Chuck and Ned stopped by this morning."

Olive immediately felt sick to her stomach. "How are th—"

"Just listen." Fredo took her hand in his. "They came by around 6:00 his morning. We talked for a little while." He squeezed the hand he was holding. "I told them about the cancer, sweetheart."

"Oh." Olive directed her gaze at the floor, growing uncomfortable. Fredo waited for her to say something more, but when she didn't, he continued. "Then, they told me…_showed_ me, rather, something…..remarkable."

Olive looked up at him. "Hm?"

Alfredo swallowed. "Yes, well….they were sitting on the couch, a few feet apart as usual, when Ned reached over, and…"

Olive waited, but Fredo looked as if he was trying to find the correct words. She grew impatient. "Ned reached over and….what?"

Fredo stared at the wall, re-living the moment in his head. "Ned reached over and….touched her. On the hand."

The color drained from Olive's face. "What?"

"But…she didn't die."

Olive yanked her hand away from him, angry. "Fredo, this _isn't_ funny. They went through a hell last night. I can't believe you'd joke about—" She studied his face, and realization struck her. He wasn't kidding. In fact, she had never seen him so serious. "Jimmeny Krispies...you're…you're not joking, are you?"

Alfredo's eyes burned holes in hers. "No. They think that when Lilly brought Chuck back, it canceled out the touch barrier for her and Ned. But….well, they don't want to risk it with Lilly."

"No, no, of course…" Olive looked down at her hands again, obviously deep in thought, trying to process everything. "This is….this is a lot."

Alfredo took her hands again and lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him. "There's actually one more thing."

Olive swallowed, bracing herself for whatever it was her husband was going to say. She let him know with a nod that she was ready to listen.

"Lilly can't live with Chuck and Ned anymore, not without endangering Chuck again, so…"

Olive's eyes widened, as she put the pieces together. "You mean…did you offer to…"

"Lilly's going to be living with us now." He smiled, as Olive's hand flew to cover her mouth. "I didn't think you'd mind."

Olive's mouth opened a few quick times in succession, but each time the words died away on her lips. Not able to verbalize how she felt, she threw her arms around her husband's neck and held him close to her. When he squeezed back, she felt her face light up with a smile. A real, genuine smile. One that went below the exterior, and touched her heart for the first time in what seemed like forever.


End file.
